23–26 Sept 2014
DESY Hamburg
Europe/Berlin timezone

Predictions for a 3.55 keV photon line from dark matter decay to axions in the Milky Way

24 Sept 2014, 15:00
20m
Seminar room 4A (DESY)

Seminar room 4A

DESY

Speaker

Ms Francesca Day (University of Oxford)

Description

I describe a scenario in which the 3.55 keV photon line recently observed in galaxy clusters and Andromeda is caused by dark matter decay to axion like particles (ALPS), which then mix with the photon in astrophysical magnetic fields. This model is particularly well motivated by the observed morphology of the 3.55 keV flux. In particular, I describe predictions for Milky Way halo dark matter decay to ALPs followed by ALP to photon conversion in the Milky Way's magnetic field. The 3.55 keV flux morphology in the ALP scenario differs significantly from that expected if the dark matter decays directly to photons. I also examine this phenomenon in Andromeda, and give predictions for future observations of the 3.55 keV line flux in the ALP scenario.

Primary authors

Ms Francesca Day (University of Oxford) Mr Joseph Conlon (University of Oxford)

Presentation materials